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All Filler - No Killer? RSD 2025 Aftermath

·1339 words·7 mins
Play on Mr. Music

Not even one week after the 2025 edition of the Record Store Day, two releases did arrive which I ordered online on the Monday night after RSD1. At the time I hit the stores on RSD, the two releases I wanted where not available2. Today, both releases are still available online, obviously they did not sell out.

Record Store Day is a two-edged sword. While I am absolutely in favour of the original idea of supporting local record stores, indie artists and record labels, celebrating with related in-store events, and maybe even pushing that idea by a few exclusive releases, some downsides have become obvious over the now 18 years of its existence.

All filler - no killer? #

Fleetwood Mac Rumours on Discogs
The list of RSD releases has grown to a ridiculous volume which is impossible to carry in significant quantities for your average store. Mainstream artists clog the production lines in vinyl pressing plants months before, not only stifling other RSD releases but arguably preventing indie artists and labels from getting their regular releases out on the market over the course of the year. Items tend to be overpriced3 and of varying quality or appeal. Major labels look to monetize their back catalogue, scraping their barrel for content. Exhibit A, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours reissued on picture disc, the bestselling album a staple in bargain bins all over the world4. 463 different vinyl releases are listed on Discogs, with more than 5,000 copies for sale on the marketplace showing an abundance of supply, hundreds of those being rated as mint condition5.

In my hometown, the four record stores I frequent regularly each have a different approach to RSD. Arguably the most well-known indie store, emerging from being an Underdog to a major player in the Cologne record store scene6, seems to go all in, managed queues and all, and stocking up on larger quantities of most releases. Parallel had a decent but obviously curated selection and actively participated in the event with in-store DJ sets. This gave a nice touch and made the day special compared to the usual Saturday shopping. My local fav, Grove Attack Record Store carried a fairly small, strongly curated selection. Early Bird, focusing on used records in the domains of hip-hop, soul and funk, dropped out of participation several years ago. So, while perusing the stores and their selection of RSD titles, not finding anything in the RSD bins, I still picked up a few other records. Even on RSD, it’s possible to buy non-RSD records.

RSD record haul
Records I purchased on RSD. None of them are on the RDS release list though.

On a positive note, a few years ago in London, I had the chance to watch and listen to Pete Doherty and fellow band members Jack Jones and Katia de Vidas of the Puta Madres in front of Rough Trade West. The store queues however were so crazy that I did not even enter.

And 2025? #

In contrast to the German or UK list of titles, the US release list states the number of units available, and categorizes items as either one in

  • EXCLUSIVES : these titles are physically released only at indie record stores and should not be reissued in the same form.
  • RSD FIRST : These titles are found first at indie record stores but may be released to other retailers or webstores at some point in the future.
  • SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES : These titles are either regionally based and sold at specific stores, or are press runs under 1000, which means they may be harder to find at record stores around the country.

For 2025 the 2025 US list, the 334 releases on the list were categorized as follows.

pie title 2025 US Record Store Day release categories "Exclusives" : 179 "First" : 109 "Limited run/regional" : 46
This is a fairly big chunk of First, and not a lot of limited small runs. Exclusives are also subject to criticism, because there are varying degrees of what constitutes an Exclusive. Often, it is simply a reissue on coloured vinyl, or with remixes of questionable value.

From the 2025 US releases, six had a press run of more than 10k units (Post Malone, Laufey, Rage Against the Machine, Charlie XCX with two releases, and Gracie Abrams). Categorized as limited run with less than 1,000 units produced are 39 releases, and for 10 the number of units was not disclosed.

One of the limited run/regional releases was Alex Chilton’s Set, with 950 units. It was sold out in a few stores, and there is the occasional spike in secondary market pricing on Discogs, but with a median of 22€, the prices are close to original retail price and fairly stable.

Chilton Sales
Sales history of Alex Chilton Set.

Post Malone’s Tribute to Nirvana, with 17,000 units released and classified as an RSD Exclusive, on the other hand, has both median and average prices about a third higher than original retail price.

Chilton Sales
Sales history of Post Malone Tribute to Nirvana.
Since years a consistent top 10 artist in major charts in Germany, the US and UK, this is as far from indie as it gets. So while this comment was originally targeting Taylor Swift, it is equally fitting to other mainstream artists.

The top-grossing, most popular artist on planet Earth, whose songbook millions can recite by heart, who once chartered two separate private jets in order to race from Tokyo to Las Vegas to see her boyfriend play in the Super Bowl, who is about as culturally ubiquitous as Coca-Cola or the Burger King jingle. Indies rule, all right.
— defector.com

A third example from this years list is Live On Tour 1993 by Rage Against The Machine. Available in large quantities with 15k units pressed, and categorized as RSD First, demand on Discogs both for the Europe and US release is not meeting supply and prices stay slightly below the original retail price.

As for RSD 2025, this quote from Steve Hoffman Music Forums sums it up nicely, I guess

My daughter refused to pay the $20 for the TS single. lol.

  1. Officially, RSD releases can only be purchased in-store on RSD. A few years ago, the option to purchase releases which did not sell out on the day itself was established. From 21:00 the Monday after RSD, participating stores are allowed to offer their remaining RSD stock. ↩︎

  2. One, On the Rock by The Cimarons, was not available in any shop. I am not sure, but it seems that RSD in Germany, where I am located, and RSD in UK, both provide their own list of releases. The Cimarons album was included on the UK list only, so maybe it was never planned to make this available in Germany. The second one, Demon Days live from the Apollo Theatre by Gorillaz, was sold out already in the only store that carried it on RSD. However, with 6.500 units available world-wide, it was not a suprise that it became availabe online. ↩︎

  3. 10€ - 20€ markup are not rare for the dubious benefit of a re-release on coloured vinyl, an RSD hype sticker on the wrapping, and if you are lucky even a new previously unreleased cut of a well-known track. Box sets particularly tend to be overpriced, especially in the form of hyped singles collection such as a Saint Etienne box set comprising six 7” singles for £45. ↩︎

  4. Other examples include The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks 1964-1971 on coloured vinyl or Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Mono) for 2018 RSD and then released again in 2022. ↩︎

  5. and still sealed. Although the Goldmine Record Grading standard suggests that not even sealed records are automatically in mint condition. ↩︎

  6. being one of 10 record stores in Germany awarded with the EMIL 2024 in the main category Best Record Store. The new award, set up in 2024 to foster cultural diversity amongst stationary retail for music is given to 16 record stores across four different categories, best overall, new opening, strong sales and structurally weak region. ↩︎

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